Genesis 8

1 But God [Elohim, the supreme Being] remembered [kept in mind, thought of with care] Noah and all the animals [living creatures, beasts] and livestock [cattle, domesticated animals] that were with him [in close relationship, near] in the ark [the vessel of salvation]. And God sent [caused to blow, brought forth] a wind [a blast of air] over the earth [land, terrestrial sphere], and the waters [flood, deluge] began to subside [recede, calm down]. word study 2 The springs [fountains, sources] of the deep [abyss, subterranean waters] and the floodgates [windows, lattice] of the heavens [sky, the visible universe] were closed [stopped, shut], and the rain [shower, downpour] from the sky [heaven, the abode of God] was restrained [held back, restricted]. word study 3 The waters [continually receding, going and returning] receded steadily from the earth [land, ground], and after 150 days [a hundred and fifty days, five months] the waters [liquid, source of refreshment] had gone down [abated, decreased, lacked]. word study 4 On the seventeenth day of the seventh [sacred or complete] month, the ark [vessel, ship, or container] came to rest [settled down, remained in one place] on the mountains [hills] of Ararat [a mountainous region in eastern Armenia]. word study 5 And the waters [continually decreasing, going and becoming lacking] continued to recede [to go, to walk, or to decrease] until the tenth month, and on the first [one, united, single] day of the tenth month the tops [heads, chief, or prince] of the mountains [a mountain or hill] became visible [to see, to look after, or to provide]. word study 6 After [at the end of, following] forty [a significant period of time, often marking trials or testing] days [a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time] Noah [the patriarch, a righteous man] opened [to engrave or carve, to unveil] the window [a hole in the wall, an opening for light and air] he had made [constructed, fashioned] in the ark [a vessel, a place of safety, the tebáh] word study 7 and sent out [released, let go] a raven [a dark-colored bird]. It kept flying [going back and forth, to and fro] back and forth [in a repetitive motion, returning] until the waters [the flood, the liquid] had dried up [withened, evaporated] from the earth [the land, the ground, the material world]. word study 8 Then Noah sent out [released, let go] a dove [pigeon] to see [observe, look after] if the waters [flood, deluge] had receded [abated, diminished] from the surface [face, presence] of the ground [land, earth, soil]. word study 9 But the dove [a dove or pigeon] found no place [resting spot, quiet location] to rest her foot [the sole of her foot, a place to settle], and she returned [to turn back, come again] to him in the ark [the vessel of salvation, a refuge], because the waters [floodwaters, the deep] were still covering [encompassing, overflowing] the surface [face, presence] of all [the entire, whole] the earth [land, ground]. So he reached out his hand [his open hand] and brought her back inside [into the safety of, within] the ark. word study 10 Noah waited [yet another] seven more days [a period of completion, a week] and again [still, once more] sent out [released, let go] the dove [a dove or pigeon] from [out of, away from] the ark [the vessel of salvation, a refuge]. word study 11 And behold [look, see], the dove [a dove or pigeon] returned to him in the evening [at eventide] with a freshly plucked [torn off] olive leaf [a sign of new life] in her beak [mouth]. So Noah [the patriarch] knew [understood] that the waters [the flood] had receded [abated] from the earth [the land]. word study 12 And Noah waited [patiently, to see what would happen] seven more days [a complete week, a period of completion] and sent out the dove [a dove or pigeon] again, but this time [on this occasion, as it turned out] she did not return [come back, turn towards] to him [toward Noah, her sender]. word study 13 In Noah’s [the patriarch who built the ark] six hundred and first year [601 years old, at the beginning of a new cycle], on the first day [the initial day, a new start] of the first month [the month of renewal], the waters [the flood, the overwhelming forces] had dried up [been desiccated, evaporated] from the earth [the land, the ground]. So Noah [the deliverer, the one who brings salvation] removed the covering [the roof, the barrier] from the ark [the vessel of salvation, the refuge] and saw that the surface [the face, the presence] of the ground [the earth, the land] was dry [parched, desolate, yet ready for new life]. word study 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth [land, ground] was fully [completely, totally] dry [to wither, dried up]. word study 15 Then God [Elohim, the supreme deity] said [to speak, communicate, or utter] to Noah [the patriarch, righteous and blameless], word study 16 “Come out [go forth, leave] of the ark [the vessel, ship], you [as an individual, personally] and your wife [woman, partner], along with [together, in company] your sons [descendants, children] and their wives [women, spouses]. word study 17 Bring out [release, set free] all the living creatures [every living thing, of all flesh] that are with you [in your care, under your authority]—birds [fowl, winged creatures], livestock [cattle, domestic animals], and everything that crawls [creeps, moves] upon the ground [the earth, the land]—so that they can spread out [breed abundantly, swarm] over the earth [the land, the world] and be fruitful [produce abundantly, flourish] and multiply [increase, grow] upon it [the earth, the land].” word study 18 So Noah [the patriarch, a righteous man] came out [went forth, emerged], along with his sons [descendants, male offspring] and his wife [woman, female partner] and his sons’ wives [women, female companions, with him]. word study 19 Every [all, without exception] living creature [having life, physical or spiritual], every creeping thing [small moving animal, reptile], and every bird [flying creature]—everything [all, every kind] that moves [creeps, walks, or flies] upon [on, above, or across] the earth [land, ground, or territory]—came out [went forth, emerged] of the ark [tebah, vessel or container], kind by kind [family by family, species by species]. word study 20 Then Noah [the patriarch, a righteous man] built [constructed, established] an altar [a place of sacrifice, a table for offerings] to the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God]. And taking [selecting, choosing] from every kind [all types, every sort] of clean [pure, ceremonially acceptable] animal [beast, quadruped] and clean [pure, acceptable] bird [fowl, winged creature], he offered [presented, sacrificed] burnt offerings [whole sacrifices, ascending smoke] on the altar [the sacred table, the place of worship]. word study 21 When the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] smelled [perceived, sensed] the pleasing aroma [sweet savor, soothing fragrance], He said in His heart [mind, inner being], “Never again will I curse [bring into contempt, make light of] the ground [earth, land] because of man [human beings, Adam’s descendants], even though every inclination [intention, thought] of his heart [inner self, emotions] is evil [bad, morally wrong] from his youth [early days, childhood]. And never again will I destroy [smite, strike] all living creatures [every living thing, all life] as I have done [previously, in the past]. word study 22 As long as the earth [land, ground, or the world as we know it] endures, seedtime [time for planting seeds, sowing] and harvest [gathering, reaping], cold [lack of warmth] and heat [warm temperatures], summer [harvest season] and winter [autumn, time of ripeness], day [a 24-hour period, or a figurative space of time] and night [time of darkness, adversity] shall never [not at all, under no circumstances] cease [stop, come to an end].” word study